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Where will Jesus find faith?

By Tony LalliE-E Columnist

This Sunday will be a day when church attendance will be higher than normal. Supposedly folks go to church to express their faith. Let’s look at that and ask the question, “Where will Jesus find faith?”

Matthew 8:5-12 tells of a Roman centurion who came to beg Jesus to heal his servant. In it is a lesson about where Jesus finds faith.

First it tells us “a centurion came to Him.” Jesus finds faith in those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He rewards those who seek Him.”

It then says of the centurion that “he was imploring Him.” Jesus finds faith in those who ask him. He says in Matthew 7:7, 8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Interestingly, this man of prestige says, “I am not worthy.”

Jesus finds faith in those who recognize a need. A good example of this is in Matthew 9:20-22. “A woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, ‘If I only touch His garment, I will get well.’” Jesus praises her for her faith as he heals her.

This centurion is a soldier and is not a man of medicine. He says, “My servant is lying paralyzed at home.” Jesus finds faith in those who recognize their own limitations. Mark 9:17-24 illustrates this as a man pleads for his son. “Teacher, I brought you my son, possessed with a spirit … I told your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it. … But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

Although one who commands men and says, “I also am a man under authority,” he recognizes Jesus’ superior authority. Jesus finds faith in those who realize God can do more than they can do themselves. Paul says in Ephesians 3:20-21 that God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.”

Here is Jesus’ conclusion. “I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”

James 2:14-26 points out that just talking about faith without putting it into action is the same as having no faith at all.

So, two questions. Is Jesus finding this kind of faith in you and me? Are we showing this kind of faith to those around us?

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